Training camp

[nyr2k2]

The powerplay is not about having the five best players on the team on it. It's about having the right structure and system. If you put a lefty in that role they will be ineffective. In order to have Laf on PP1 and be effective you would need to move Mika back into the bumper and then have Laf/Panarin on the two half walls. We have already seen in the past this is a bad idea as they tried it when Panarin first became a Ranger. If you put him in the middle he will stand there and never touch the puck because he will not be a viable pass option.

Other guys that play a similar role on PP's with a similar structure largely revolving around a big shot from the left circle:

Point - RHS
Oshie - RHS
Bergeron - RHS

Not sure if there are any other PPs that are structured identically (or the reverse which would then have a LS of course) off the top of my head.

"“The important thing is bringing in a righty for a righty,” net-front presence extraordinaire Kreider told The Post following Monday’s practice at this Rhode Island outpost. “A lefty [replacing Strome] would change the element and the dynamic.

“The guy in the middle has to be a shot threat. If we had a lefty there, we’d have to run everything off the other side.” "

Great analysis. Our PP works as well as it does because everyone is in a position to succeed. There are other teams with similar offensive talent (maybe even superior) who have disjointed PPs that suck. We've had good talent and terrible PPs. Again, ours works because everyone is playing a role that they're good at. You randomly switch shit up and risk throwing off the whole thing.

 

[egelband]

who's ny sports brain immediately whispered, "Mosgov"?

 

[SA16]

Great analysis. Our PP works as well as it does because everyone is in a position to succeed. There are other teams with similar offensive talent (maybe even superior) who have disjointed PPs that suck. We've had good talent and terrible PPs. Again, ours works because everyone is playing a role that they're good at. You randomly switch shit up and risk throwing off the whole thing.

And it doesn't matter that Strome may not have touched the puck much in the middle. The point is he was there as a viable option. He has to covered or Panarin can give him a pass for the one timer in the slot. Strome's game may not be to take that shot but that doesn't mean the defense can just ignore it. Trocheck on the other hand is better at doing that and will probably be more of a scoring threat. If you have a lefty there they are not an option to receive the pass because it would cross their body and it let's the defense defend it that much easier.

 

[huerter]

And it doesn't matter that Strome may not have touched the puck much in the middle. The point is he was there as a viable option. He has to covered or Panarin can give him a pass for the one timer in the slot. Strome's game may not be to take that shot but that doesn't mean the defense can just ignore it. Trocheck on the other hand is better at doing that and will probably be more of a scoring threat. If you have a lefty there they are not an option to receive the pass because it would cross their body and it let's the defense defend it that much easier.

I am a former high major DOBO and I approve this message.

 

[Mac n Gs]

And it doesn't matter that Strome may not have touched the puck much in the middle. The point is he was there as a viable option. He has to covered or Panarin can give him a pass for the one timer in the slot. Strome's game may not be to take that shot but that doesn't mean the defense can just ignore it. Trocheck on the other hand is better at doing that and will probably be more of a scoring threat. If you have a lefty there they are not an option to receive the pass because it would cross their body and it let's the defense defend it that much easier.

Shane Pinto scored a goal exactly like you’re talking about the other night with Giroux going high-to-low to Brassard at the right net mouth who then fed Pinto for the mid-slot one timer.

Kuznetsov, Backstrom, and Oshie run this same set play for Washington for Oshie all the time, and if teams converge on Oshie, it just opens up space for Ovechkin. The only way to make it work with a kid being on PP1 would be to replace one or two of Kreider and/or Mika/Panarin (the remainder would take the left circle), which is lunacy to suggest anyways.

 

[bleedblue94]

As you progress through the playoffs it gets tougher to win. They still got 18 PPG in 19 games in the playoffs.

This strategy you hate got them to the Semis when we were all hoping they would make the playoffs.

If there was a season in the last 10 to complain about, last season wasn't the one.

I'm not complaining about last season, please dont manipulate my words. Last year the team gave us more than we could have hoped for and clearly overachieved, and that is precisely why banking on a repeat of the same unexpected run via the same strategies is setting up for disappointment.

 

[DanielBrassard]

In our PP configuration, a right handed bumper can do everything a left handed bumper can do plus can shoot off the pass from Panarin and can shoot off the pass from Kreider on a tic tac toe high to low to high. Having those two options keeps the PK guessing or else they could just blanket Zibanejad even tighter, who is the key to the lethal PP. Gallant knows this geometry. Of course he does. It's not very complicated.

This is exactly right.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I am a former high major DOBO and I approve this message.

I'm a dope who posts on HF and I also approve this message.

 

[mas0764]

Yes. The point is to win games. Not to feel better about the PP2. Improving the PP2 makes you less likely to win games since you downgrade the PP1. Putting Laf, or Kakko, on PP1 would make the unit much worse since a lefty is entirely useless in that role.

The point isn't to win games, it's to win a Cup.

 

[Leonardo87]

f***ing knock it the f*** off with Trouba on the PP.

At least all the kids are getting a shot on there. I mean they will probably only get 20-30 secs , but better than nothing, lol.

 

[TominNC]

The point isn't to win games, it's to win a Cup.

No one ever won a cup without winning games

 

[GENESISPuck94]

And you know what, I am sure that if PP1 struggles and looks out of sync with Trocheck there, the head coach will make changes. But for right now, I am going to give the coach, who got a team to the ECF in his 1st year that had a PP that was 4th in league in the regular season, the benefit of the doubt. They were also 2nd in PP% and PPG, with the Stanley Cup Champs only ahead of them. You know, the team some here salivate over as the “model”. Seems more sensible than calling him a tool…

What precedent is there for Gallant making changes, either in-game or otherwise? Since he's been here he's had things done the exact same ways regardless if they work or not. To the point it's had people banging their heads against a wall.

Last year's power play has nothing to do with this year's power play. Strome isn't here. Strome didn't do anything for that power play unit anyway. There's a player on the roster that earned a chance to be in the open spot on PP1. But it's going by default to "coach's guy".

It's very damaging to an organization to actively block a #1 overall pick upward progression especially because the mediocre players chosen above him are "coach's guys". Let's see how many Cups the Rangers win while keeping Lafreniere on the 3rd line and off PP1 while scrubs like Blais and Hunt get top line 5v5 time and glorified 3rd line centers like Trocheck and Goodrow get top special teams unit time. I'll keep referencing Tampa: they fired a coach because of this kind of handling of Stamkos.

This guy can't even make glaringly obvious decisions for the 4th line. Carpenter is "his guy". Everyone with eyes and half a brain can see how awful Carpenter is. Rydahl has been effective. The choice is obvious. Vesey earned a spot. The choice between him and Hunt or Reaves is plain as day. But "Gallant's guys".

Instead of putting Lafreniere on line 1 with Kreider and Zibanejad he puts Blais. BLAIS. Lafreniere scored more 5v5 goals last season than Blais has total goals in his career. "The Kid Line". Let's see how much time they get. 14 minutes tops. Its fantasy to expect Gallant to suddenly evenly distribute 3 lines. Lafreniere would be a 60+ going on 70+ point scorer by now on almost any other team in the league. Most coaches and teams would be salivating at the chance to plug in a player like Lafreniere for years to come. Gallant? Nah, he'd rather ride the Blais and Hunts into the sunset and he'd rather have the most ineffective 4th line in the league because they "remind him of himself".

He doesn't even take responsibility for his BS decisions. "He was angry with Strome". Dude, consult your medical staff to see if the player is good or not. Or simply LOOK at him. Everyone could see Strome couldn't play. Gallant has blinders on. He's too much of a jack ass to own up to it.

I see why he's been fired everywhere. He's a dinosaur. The league is tailored to having young players step in and contribute. It's happening all over the league. Gallant: "they have to wait their turn" is such a cop-out and dirt ball thing to say while laughing at valid criticisms. Maybe he'd learn a thing or two if he looked inward and made some adjustments.

 

[irishlaxburger2]

What precedent is there for Gallant making changes, either in-game or otherwise? Since he's been here he's had things done the exact same ways regardless if they work or not. To the point it's had people banging their heads against a wall.

Last year's power play has nothing to do with this year's power play. Strome isn't here. Strome didn't do anything for that power play unit anyway. There's a player on the roster that earned a chance to be in the open spot on PP1. But it's going by default to "coach's guy".

It's very damaging to an organization to actively block a #1 overall pick upward progression especially because the mediocre players chosen above him are "coach's guys". Let's see how many Cups the Rangers win while keeping Lafreniere on the 3rd line and off PP1 while scrubs like Blais and Hunt get top line 5v5 time and glorified 3rd line centers like Trocheck and Goodrow get top special teams unit time. I'll keep referencing Tampa: they fired a coach because of this kind of handling of Stamkos.

This guy can't even make glaringly obvious decisions for the 4th line. Carpenter is "his guy". Everyone with eyes and half a brain can see how awful Carpenter is. Rydahl has been effective. The choice is obvious. Vesey earned a spot. The choice between him and Hunt or Reaves is plain as day. But "Gallant's guys".

Instead of putting Lafreniere on line 1 with Kreider and Zibanejad he puts Blais. BLAIS. Lafreniere scored more 5v5 goals last season than Blais has total goals in his career. "The Kid Line". Let's see how much time they get. 14 minutes tops. Its fantasy to expect Gallant to suddenly evenly distribute 3 lines. Lafreniere would be a 60+ going on 70+ point scorer by now on almost any other team in the league. Most coaches and teams would be salivating at the chance to plug in a player like Lafreniere for years to come. Gallant? Nah, he'd rather ride the Blais and Hunts into the sunset and he'd rather have the most ineffective 4th line in the league because they "remind him of himself".

He doesn't even take responsibility for his BS decisions. "He was angry with Strome". Dude, consult your medical staff to see if the player is good or not. Or simply LOOK at him. Everyone could see Strome couldn't play. Gallant has blinders on. He's too much of a jack ass to own up to it.

I see why he's been fired everywhere. He's a dinosaur. The league is tailored to having young players step in and contribute. It's happening all over the league. Gallant: "they have to wait their turn" is such a cop-out and dirt ball thing to say while laughing at valid criticisms. Maybe he'd learn a thing or two if he looked inward and made some adjustments.

 

[SA16]

What precedent is there for Gallant making changes, either in-game or otherwise? Since he's been here he's had things done the exact same ways regardless if they work or not. To the point it's had people banging their heads against a wall.

Last year's power play has nothing to do with this year's power play. Strome isn't here. Strome didn't do anything for that power play unit anyway. There's a player on the roster that earned a chance to be in the open spot on PP1. But it's going by default to "coach's guy".

It's very damaging to an organization to actively block a #1 overall pick upward progression especially because the mediocre players chosen above him are "coach's guys". Let's see how many Cups the Rangers win while keeping Lafreniere on the 3rd line and off PP1 while scrubs like Blais and Hunt get top line 5v5 time and glorified 3rd line centers like Trocheck and Goodrow get top special teams unit time. I'll keep referencing Tampa: they fired a coach because of this kind of handling of Stamkos.

This guy can't even make glaringly obvious decisions for the 4th line. Carpenter is "his guy". Everyone with eyes and half a brain can see how awful Carpenter is. Rydahl has been effective. The choice is obvious. Vesey earned a spot. The choice between him and Hunt or Reaves is plain as day. But "Gallant's guys".

Instead of putting Lafreniere on line 1 with Kreider and Zibanejad he puts Blais. BLAIS. Lafreniere scored more 5v5 goals last season than Blais has total goals in his career. "The Kid Line". Let's see how much time they get. 14 minutes tops. Its fantasy to expect Gallant to suddenly evenly distribute 3 lines. Lafreniere would be a 60+ going on 70+ point scorer by now on almost any other team in the league. Most coaches and teams would be salivating at the chance to plug in a player like Lafreniere for years to come. Gallant? Nah, he'd rather ride the Blais and Hunts into the sunset and he'd rather have the most ineffective 4th line in the league because they "remind him of himself".

He doesn't even take responsibility for his BS decisions. "He was angry with Strome". Dude, consult your medical staff to see if the player is good or not. Or simply LOOK at him. Everyone could see Strome couldn't play. Gallant has blinders on. He's too much of a jack ass to own up to it.

I see why he's been fired everywhere. He's a dinosaur. The league is tailored to having young players step in and contribute. It's happening all over the league. Gallant: "they have to wait their turn" is such a cop-out and dirt ball thing to say while laughing at valid criticisms. Maybe he'd learn a thing or two if he looked inward and made some adjustments.

In Gallant's first full year in Columbus second year player Nikolai Zherdev (34 point rookie season) was 4th among forwards in TOI

In Gallant's first year in Florida the two guys who led the team in 5v5 TOI were third year player Huberdeau (career high 31 pts) and second year player Barkov (24 point rookie season). They were both PP1.

Vegas was an expansion team with no early picks. The problem isn't Gallant playing "his guys" over young players. It's that this team has a lot of good players and his other teams didn't.

If you want to watch young players in big roles have you considered watching the OHL, CHL, WHL, or NCAA instead of the NHL?

Did starting in a depth role for several years hurt Jason Spezza? Either Sedin? Seguin? Even JVR? Those were all top 2-3 picks. It wasn't an issue for any of them.

Lafreniere will get his chance on PP1 when/if someone gets hurt or if it's ineffective and they want to try something different. It's extremely obvious why he isn't getting the chance now. The Rangers were one of the best PPs in the league last year and you want to blow up the entire structure of the PP to force a bad fit on to it because he was our #1 pick. Glorified third line center Vincent Trocheck is an extremely good PP player and considering there is an open spot that fits almost exactly what he does best obviously he should be there.

 

[mas0764]

No one ever won a cup without winning games

Of course, but you also have to take a long approach view as well.

Sometimes getting your players experience at the cost of wins now helps you win more games later than you lost now. It's a trade off that is worth it in the end.

So the argument that "We can't afford to mess around with PP1" really doesn't hold water.

This guy can't even make glaringly obvious decisions for the 4th line. Carpenter is "his guy". Everyone with eyes and half a brain can see how awful Carpenter is. Rydahl has been effective. The choice is obvious. Vesey earned a spot. The choice between him and Hunt or Reaves is plain as day. But "Gallant's guys".

I will join you in frustration with this, but you have to let it happen first. We haven't seen the final roster yet.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Look, I want Lafreniere on PP1 as much as anyone else, but our PP was the only reason we were any good last season aside from Shesterkin. It was that much of a difference maker considering how bad we were at 5v5 most of the season. I really don't understand all of the complaining - we have one of the best power plays in the league.

Kreider explains it clearly here, I'm not sure why it's so hard to understand why they like the 4 RH shot set up:

Righty Adam Fox replaced DeAngelo at the point at the start of the following year. Now, righty Vincent Trocheck has stepped in for Strome after the summer’s free-agency exchange of the No. 16’s. Having four righties on that unit is no longer, if it ever had been, happenstance. It is a defining feature of a power play that ranked fourth in the NHL at 25.2 percent last season.

“The important thing is bringing in a righty for a righty,” net-front presence extraordinaire Kreider told The Post following Monday’s practice at this Rhode Island outpost. “A lefty [replacing Strome] would change the element and the dynamic.

“The guy in the middle has to be a shot threat. If we had a lefty there, we’d have to run everything off the other side.”

If we were still in rebuilding mode then sure, they should be letting the kids feast on PP1 but this team is trying to contend. PP1 last season was one of the best units in the league and it won us so many games basically on its own. Why are we complaining about that? After years of having a PP that basically lost us games with Lundqvist standing on his head in the playoffs and getting basically no goal support half the time our PP sucking ass, we have one now that is a real difference maker and we're complaining about it?

Let Lafreniere force his way onto PP1. If Trocheck struggles or someone gets injured, he'll get his shot. As it stands now there is no reason to try anything other than slotting Trocheck into Strome's spot to start. If it doesn't work, you take it from there.

The non stop bitching about this is getting ridiculous.

And on the 4th line, Carpenter has sucked ass but it's clear Gallant wants him. If he comes in and sucks in the season, he's getting waived. Drury will let Gallant pick his team to start and if it's not working, they will make changes. Rydahl can get his feet under him in Hartford and possibly be up in a couple months. Why are we complaining about things like this? It's annoying, but it is what it is. If Carpenter is as bad as he has been in the preseason he will be replaced, but we have to let it happen first. He could end up being fine, he's had good defensive impacts the past couple years even on a bad Chicago team last year. Let it happen first. If he sucks, he will be gone a la the Jarret Stoll experiment under AV.

 

[GENESISPuck94]

Here's the other thing, every team winning Cups and multiple Cups did it with their high draft picks leading the way. Teams put those guys in every situation and let them grow to the point when the chips were down in the playoffs those were the guys leading the teams to wins. They weren't buried behind scrubs at 5v5 and denied opportunities on the PP and PK. The Rangers are not winning a Cup until Laf and Kakko are big-time contributors and leaders. Trocheck isn't putting us over the top. Blais is not leading the way. They aren't winning a Cup with an ineffective 4th line.

 

[Fitzy]

They have a large playbook of set puck movements that require a right handed shot. That's fine.

But I won't lie- it would be nice if Gallant gave Laf a more serious look at RW with Zibanejad rather than always defaulting to a grinder.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

The Rangers had the 4th best PP in the league last year, but sure Gallant is a “tool”.

This is the thing nobody wants to hear.

Our PP is too good as is to mess with putting inexperienced players on it.

If somebody gets hurt, or we’re on a cold streak, I’m all for it, but don’t break it up for no reason.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I don't have a problem with PP1 being the way it is.

I have a problem with Trouba being on PP2. I don't care if its for 20 seconds every PP, hes a negative out there and he's cost us before in pretty important situations.

 

[will1066]

Newhook had 13 goals. No other forward under 25 had anywhere near that. What makes you think our young guys would get more chances to score out there?

It was just an off-hand remark. Like I said earlier, I had nothing to go on when I posted it. If I had to make a stretch, the way the Avs play in the offensive zone and with their overall team talent, it wouldn't surprise me if Gauthier gets a lot of wide-open slam-dunk chances playing there. And with his raw skills, he'd fit right in over there with their skating and cycle game.

 

[TGWL]

If you're view is "The goal here is to win regular season games so you put yourself in a good post season spot" I would disagree and say the goal is to prep the team for a post season run. Igor is going to get this team in the playoffs again barring injury, but people around here are discounting how hard it is to get to the conference finals let alone to the finals or to win once you do get to the playoffs. One trick pony rarely gets it done, well evolved teams with multiple contributors are the ones that are successful. I can't believe people here are thinking hell let's just run the same idea of unworldly goalie and elite pp and think that is going to carry the team further towards the goal we all want it to achieve.

My view and your view are irrelevant here. I'm saying the organization's view is "The goal here is to win as many regular season games as possible."

 

[McRanger23]

The fallacy here is that square pegging Lafreniere (or any of the kids) into a role they are not suited for on PP1 wont help their development or help the team win. It would simply validate posters who dont want him called a bust on the main boards. Getting powerplay points isnt going to magically make any of the kids a better player; they are all developing just fine, but not quickly enough for some who allegedly preach patience.

Laf turns 21 on Opening Night. The coach who everyone hates already clearly likes having all 3 kids together because of their obvious chemistry. Them getting any PP time is negligible. More minutes 5v5 by the kid line (that's a more fair criticism of Gallant) and improvement by Panarin's line at 5v5 is going to raise the ceiling of the team. Trocheck fits like a glove in Strome's former spot, no reason to use anyone else there.

 

[TGWL]

“The important thing is bringing in a righty for a righty,” net-front presence extraordinaire Kreider told The Post following Monday’s practice at this Rhode Island outpost. “A lefty [replacing Strome] would change the element and the dynamic.

“The guy in the middle has to be a shot threat. If we had a lefty there, we’d have to run everything off the other side.”

#KreiderGetsGeometry

Exactly. And this would then crowd Ziabnejad's area for one-timers. It wouldn't work. You'd need to switch the way they run the powerplay, or swap Panarin with Laf and have Laf works the wall. I'm not saying you can't run a powerplay without the full bumper spot being utilized or with a group of Panarin, Fox, Laf, Zibanejad, Kreider, but fans need to be aware that the structure will change.

 

[Crease]

PP1 is about funneling the puck to Zibanejad. The RHS at the bumper position is Panarin's second pass option and provides a decoy for Zibanejad. Putting a LHS at bumper (Laf, Kakko, Krav) makes no sense.